Richland Library’s inaugural Read Freely Fest | The library’s free, family-friendly festival is underway, featuring author talks, book sales, and entertainment across across three days.
SC Pimento Cheese Festival | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Saluda Shoals Park | Free | Celebrate this regional favorite with plenty of cheese samples for purchase, live music from Prettier Than Matt, an arts and crafts fair, and more fun.
Crafted in Carolina | 1-5 p.m. | Segra Park | $45+ | Sip on this — sample 150+ brews from over 60 SC breweries, jam to music by Bad Stars, and shop SC-made goods at the artisan market.
SC Philharmonic presents Beethoven + Blue Jeans | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Koger Center for the Arts | $36+ | Listen to 19th-century sounds with a 21st-century flair as acclaimed pianist Noah Kim helps perform pieces by Beethoven.
Warren Zeiders: The Relapse Tour | 8 p.m. | The Township Auditorium | $37+ | Zeiders’ song “Pretty Little Poison” was the No. 2 most played song on country radio in 2024.
Sunday, March 30
Big Nosh Jewish Food Festival | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Tree of Life Congregation | Free | Sample noshes (small plates) featuring popular Jewish dishes, then feed your sweet tooth by purchasing baked goods.
Parker Quartet Concert | 5:30-7 p.m. | Darla Moore School of Business 101 - Johnson Performance Hall | Free | Hear Mozart’s “Quartet in D minor, K. 421" + Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4" with guests Daniel Sweaney and Claire Bryant.
Want to learn something new... from the comfort of your own bed? Try visiting the Museum of All Things, a new virtual museum generated from Wikipedia with exhibits on millions of topics. When the scrolling gets old and you need some real-world interaction, head to Columbia’s IRL museums.
Ranked
In case you missed it, the US ranked No. 24 on the 2025 World Happiness Report. According to the report, sharing meals can positively impact our happiness — “on par with the influence of income and unemployment.” Make it an extra happy meal by sharing it at a new restaurant.
Plan Ahead
Don’t forget: The deadline to obtain a REAL ID is coming up on Wednesday, May 7. You’ll need the REAL ID (or a different federally approved identification, such as a passport) if you plan to fly domestically or enter secure federal or military facilities. Here’s how and where to get one locally.
Number
$17.08. That’s the average cost of a large cheese pizza in Columbia based on a national pizza study conducted by Clever. Luckily, Soda City has many pizzerias that are worth the dough, and our options go way beyond just cheese.
Sports
These new Canes guys are great, huh? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Carolina Hurricanes with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Travel
Making summer 2025 your main character era? Perfect timing: Snag this travel credit card’s rare, limited-time welcome bonus (worth ~$1,000) to fuel your summer adventures — whether it’s island-hopping like a Love Is Blind escapee, chasing Sabrina or Kendrick on tour, or simply living your best jet-set life.*
City Guide
City Guide
🍅 A local crop of farmers markets
Soda City Market happens year-round, no matter the weather. | Photo via @roadtripsandrollercoasters
Get ready to fill up your reusable shopping bags with fruits and veggies, Soda City.
In the spirit of supporting all things local, we’ve rounded up 10 farmers markets in the Columbia area where you’ll find fresh food, live music, and local vendors.
This gorgeous plush throw blanket that’s marked down by 73% for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. We love its ultra-soft faux fur texture and three-dimensional rhombic cable knit design.
Southern Living released a list of the 12 best Southern fast food chains — and nine of them can be found in the Midlands. We’re still waiting on Raising Cane’s to make its way here — and we know plenty of folks who’d be clucking excited if it did.
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